2011 Junior Presentation

2011 FRA Junior Championships ‘Do’.
This year incorporating a Junior Fell Academy with guest speaker and presenter Andi Jones.



Witton Park – Sunday 2^nd October 2011.

Map

The ‘Junior Do’ this year will have a ‘training camp’ feel to it with everyone attending having the opportunity to –
- Get some technical/skills coaching from FRA coaches
- Listen to GB International runner Andi Jones thoughts on training and racing as an elite runner, both on the fell/mountains and on the road,
- Be part of a World Record attempt
- Have a chance to meet & chat to other athletes/coaches
- Celebrate the successes of 2011
- Look forward to the 2012 Championship.


The agenda for the day is –


10.00 – Arrival, introduction
10.15 – Into groups with an FRA coach, technique inputs/practical sessions
11.30 – Andi Jones talk
12.00 – Track – Relay attempt on Kenenisa Bekele’s 2005 10,000mt. World record of 26:17:53.
(x 25 sub 63 second laps – all attending athletes participate running from 100mts to 400mts as appropriate)
13.00 – Lunch (Sandwiches, cakes tea/coffee provided)
13.30 – Input from Junior Co-ordinator on next years fixtures, Home International, selection, priorities going forward,
13.45 – 2011 FRA Junior Championship Individual and team presentations by Andi Jones.
14.30 – Finish/depart. (But I’ll be available for any coaches/parents who wish to chat).


For those eligible for t-shirts (4 races completed) or hoodies (6 races completed) there will be a website posted soon on which you can place your order. It can then be either collected at the do (free of charge) or sent directly to you from the manufacturer (p&p at your own expense). (The Home International in North Wales on the 24^th September will be considered as a Championship race for the purposes of t-shirt/hoodie eligibility only)


If people could let me know by 25^th September (Viking Chase) whether they intend to come along that would help greatly in organising food & resources for the day.


The plan is for this will be an enjoyable & stimulating day, so we not only recognise the achievements of our best athletes from the series and have a good crack, but also provide the opportunity for everyone coming along to learn something and enhance their running.

Many thanks


Duncan Richards
Junior Co-ordinator
[email protected]

Those competitors, who have qualified for a T-shirt (4 or more races) and 'hoody' (6 races) can order them on-line.
1) By Wednesday for collection at Witton Park on Sunday.
or
2) For postal delivery.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FellJunior

Those competitors, who have qualified for a T-shirt (4 or more races) and 'hoody' (6 races) can order them on-line.
1) By Wednesday for collection at Witton Park on Sunday.
or
2) For postal delivery.

---

Hi Jim,

I'm struggling with this for Beckie's shirt order. I cannot enter without putting in all the credit card details as all the boxes are mandatory and then it seems the system will not accept a £Nil ammount.

50 young athletes took part in a 5k relay of 100m legs. They completed in 13:10:06 thus beating Mo Farah's recent World Championship winning time by 13 seconds. I have emailed him asking him to forward his gold medal!
However, they were 13 seconds slower than his U.K. record of 12:57:94, and 33 seconds behind Kenenisa Bekele's world record of 12:37.35.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FellJunior

50 young athletes took part in a 5k relay of 100m legs. They completed in 13:10:06 thus beating Mo Farah's recent World Championship winning time by 13 seconds. I have emailed him asking him to forward his gold medal!
However, they were 13 seconds slower than his U.K. record of 12:57:94, and 33 seconds behind Kenenisa Bekele's world record of 12:37.35.

---

Well we could blame the time keeper!

More seriously, it was a pleasure to again talk with Andi Jones and it was a tribute to the "Do" organisers that they got him to come along.


Andi talks sense, can perform (Berlin Marathon 2.18 last week, has a PB of 2.15.20), knows people like Paula R. and although he may have won 5/5 Snowdon races he freely admits that Ian Holmes is one of the greatest fellrunners of all time and he, Andi, always listens to what Ian has to say.

He is a really nice guy.

I need to say some big THANK YOUs for making this years Junior 'do' and presentations a cracking day yesterday. Firstly Richard Taylor (aka Witton Park) for enabling us to use Blackburn as a venue, providing a fine cuisine for lunch for 50 athletes accompanied by parents & coaches and helping out in the planning of the day. (And again, huge congratulations to Blackburn Harriers for back to back Club Championship wins).
Then Lecky for sourcing & sorting t-shirts/hoodies, which all looked great. Both these guys then led coaching groups along with Nick Harris, Stephen Pearson, George Woodburn, Tim Miller and Colin Bishop. The feedback from those coaching groups was overwhelmingly positive.

And of course Andi Jones for his excellent and inspiring talk for which the feedback was also glowing. Inspired by Andi all the juniors then combined on the track to beat Mo Farahs world championship Gold medal winning 5000mt time. I know Bashir is keen on speed and from what I saw the juniors had plenty!

Great to see Graham Breeze, Madeleine & Alan Barlow from the committee there as well, many thanks.

Thanks also to Bethanie Murray (aka mylittlewalshes) for putting together a video clip of the season to music, this went down very well and I'm told will be out on you tube shortly.

But mainly a huge thank you to the most important people, the junior runners, their parents and coaches for coming along and making it such a great event. Congratulations to all the medalists for a fine season of consistent racing, and congratulations as well to all those who picked up a their award for completing the series of four or six races, very impressive (and I'm told sapphire blue is in this year!).

I'd hoped that it would be a day that everyone who came along felt they took away something that would enhance their running experience, whether that be technical skill, something motivational, greater knowledge or, as Andi Jones identified as so important, the enhanced friendships from, & sheer enjoyment of, running.

Well done everyone who raced this year, I look forward to seeing you all back fitter, faster (and probably taller) next year and again, many thanks indeed to all those who gave up their Sunday to contribute.

Andi Jones has his own blog and I thought you might be interested to read his reflections after the do -


"Today I attended and presented at the Junior FRA Do. It is basically what it says on the tin! An event designed to celebrate the achievements of the juniors in the FRA championships.

The main point I wanted to stress today was that no matter how good you are, how bad you are, or how much in the middle you are, through training you can realise your dreams. I never entered running with a dream of running for Great Britain. When I started out I just wanted to run and this is still my approach to my running and racing now. I really do love putting my running shoes on and getting out for a run, whether that be on the roads, XC or Fells. I really do love running.

I said today during my talk that I want to run every day I am alive for, but obviously this might not be totally practical like tomorrows run I am going to miss for a rest day as am still recovering from the marathon. But you get the idea, I want to run and race as long as I possibly can.

Another point I was trying to make today was that even if you are not winning now, over time and with more training who knows what the future holds. I never raced as a junior so never won a single race. But as a senior I got more and more in to my running and hopefully it will continue for years to come.

Today was great to see the different age groups receive their medals and to share in their celebration. They had each worked hard to win these medals and to compete in the Junior FRA Championships.

I wish each one of them good luck in the future!"

Thank you to those who organised the day and all the coaches for their great input.
Link to the video review of the Championship here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmxjzMrznaY